Ride the Lightning
Cybersecurity and Future of Law Practice Blog
by Sharon D. Nelson Esq., President of Sensei Enterprises, Inc.
Electronic Freedom Foundation Issues Cell PhoneTips for Occupy Wall Street Protesters
October 24, 2011
Cell phone and other electronic devices are an essential component of 21st century protests.
This is a quote from the recently issued Cell Phone Guide for Occupy Wall Street Protestors (And Everyone Else). That quote really made me stop and think – and brought back memories of simpler times protesting the Vietnam War when real time communications during protests were in person – with no instantaneous media or outside world contact. Times really have changed the nature of protest in this country and around the world.
The tips offered by the Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF) are not rocket science, but I daresay many protesters have not thought of many of them. Throwaway phones with no sensitive data are a good option when you reasonably anticipate that you might be arrested and your phone searched and/or seized. And don't expect to get a seized phone back for a LONG time.
And encryption – we love encryption for sensitive data.
Don't bother arguing the law with a law enforcement officer who says he/she is entitled to the phone. Just make it clear that you are not consenting to the phone being searched and politely ask for an attorney. You might well be angry but hostility tends to make a bad situation worse. Let the lawyer handle the legal problems. But in the meantime, the tips offered by the EFF are worth considering.
Somewhere in my house, I know the love beads and peace signs still lurk.
Listen to the Podcast
